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Tuesday, August 2, 2016

QRs All Year Long

My listening center used to be THE WORST. I hated it. I hated pulled the tape film from the wreckage after my little ones forgot how to work it. I hated the CD player being turned too loud by someone. The arguments over who got to control the buttons WERE THE WORST. Not to mention half the time they weren't on the same page as the reader.

 https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760

Well. Problem solved. QR listening centers. You don't have to be 1:1 technology. You don't even have to have a cart. iPads are nice, but you really only need a couple of old iPhones - think about everyone who has upgraded and still has an old device. No more volume wars, easy scan and play, best of all - the reader in the video is usually showing the pages as he or she reads so my kiddos are following along!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760 

I just print these pages that align with monthly themes, laminate the pages, and stick them in the library with the books. Those clean plastic wipe and write pockets work too. Or put them in a binder as the year goes on. All videos from YouTube are cleaned through Pure View or Safe Share so that your kiddos are safely watching the read around and not other content.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760 

Now not ALL of the QRs link to read alouds, but most of them do. The ones that don't are supplemental resources to help explore a topic. So kids in the listening center are exposed to a variety of content both visual and auditory.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760            https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760

Right now, I there topics for March, April, May, June, July and August. Each month I will add two more pages of QRs that fit with the month. AND this bundle is open for suggestions. Give me input on what you want showcased each month and I will do it! Yay!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760      https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760


https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/QR-Codes-for-the-Year-GROWING-BUNDLE-2518760


Going this way with my listening center really saved it. And I am glad because I know the kiddos are excited to use QRs and this gives them the listening center I was always too frustrated to deal with!

Sometimes the read alouds get taken down off YouTube due to copywrite, so if that QR doesn't work the kids just mark an X on it.  I have no control over that, but I do update the videos as soon as I notice an issue so you will never be without a full QR set.

Get your growing QR set here - price goes up when it's complete!

What does your listening center look like? What would you like to see added?

A to Z QRs

Being 1:1 iPads in Kindergarten takes some creativity to make sure your kiddos aren't sitting on apps all the time.  I also need to get creative about learning letters because most of my kiddos come in with little to no letter recognition, phonemic awareness, or alphabetic principal. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-to-Z-QRs-2283221

Enter A to Z QRs.  Whenever I am trying to integrate technology, I ALWAYS start with the learning content and target.  I want my kiddos to learn their letters, develop phonemic awareness, and develop fine motor skills...

...and they want to play. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-to-Z-QRs-2283221

In order to satisfy all of our interests, we use A to Z QR codes.  On each task card is a QR code that links to an ABC Mouse video of the letter that represents the sound of the picture on the card.  So the above card (sun) links to a video about the letter S.  

All of the videos are in Safe Share so that your kiddos can't just float around YouTube.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-to-Z-QRs-2283221

I print out all of the QR cards and put them in a center.  I usually just use one of the buckets I have laying around, put the cards in and add some response sheets.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-to-Z-QRs-2283221

Last week, in the dollar spot I found some clear pocket stickers that fit the QR cards JUST RIGHT!! So now I put the letter of the day on the outside of the bucket for easy scanning.  Kiddos have to scan that card first and then they can scan any others. They always write down or color in a picture of the letter that they scanned.

As far as academics go - this center hits the mark. Added bonus? You can use this activity to teach kids how to use a QR reader, hold their iPads appropriately, and use technology as a tool!

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/A-to-Z-QRs-2283221

Here's what you'll need for your own A to Z QRs:
-A to Z QRs
-Center bucket
-Adhesive square label pockets (Target Dollar Spot)
-Recording sheets (there are some in the A to Z QRs, these are extras)

So, what about you? How do you integrate technology and combine it with content?

Monday, August 1, 2016

Helping parents get ready for Kindergarten

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Welcome-to-Kindergarten-Editable-Parent-Packet-BUNDLE-English-Spanish-and-TK-2012770

Sending your little one off to kindergarten can be emotional. Parents want to make sure their child's teacher will protect, love, and care for their child the way that they do. Our new students are someone's little one all grown up and off starting to have personal rather than familial experiences. 

Parents will eagerly await for their child to stories about school, their new friends, and the new things that they learned. And...our students will often answer, "Nothing" or "I don't know" leaving parents asking, "What DO they do all day."

Preparing parents and new kindergartners for school is equally important.  Teachers know how special each member of their new class will be and it's our job to help all children learn in a safe, exciting, educational environment.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Welcome-to-Kindergarten-Editable-Parent-Packet-BUNDLE-English-Spanish-and-TK-2012770

Each year, our district hosts a Bloom Into Kindergarten event for incoming kindergarten parents in May. We meet our new class members and discuss with the parents the expectations for incoming kindergartners keeping in mind developmentally appropriate goals and tasks. Parents and students make letter activities and we discuss the expectations and discuss all the wonders that kindergarten holds. 


We developed a Welcome to Kindergarten packet to hand out to parents during Bloom into Kindergarten, which we go through with them.

Included on the front page is all of our contact information and the first day of school information.  
The following pages discuss:
-Academic expectations and goals
-They way that we teach
-What a day in kindergarten looks like
-All first day of school information
-The kindergarten supply list 
-Apps that we use in school (we are 1:1 iPads)
-Resource pages including proper letter formation, our sight word list, a writing practice page, 2D and 3D shapes, and number flash cards. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Welcome-to-Kindergarten-Editable-Parent-Packet-BUNDLE-English-Spanish-and-TK-2012770

This has been tremendously helpful for our parents that are sending their little ones off to school. The packet gives us a lot of talking points. Many parents are surprised to see what kindergartners are expected to know, but probably more surprised when they know it all at the end of the year! Here is a FREE literacy night presentation that you can use to help keep parents updated on student progress.

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Literacy-Night-EDITABLE-Presentation-2140398

I really love this packet because all the information is out there for our parents and we have most of their support at home. 

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Welcome-to-Kindergarten-Editable-Parent-Packet-BUNDLE-English-Spanish-and-TK-2012770

I made the packet editable (English, Spanish and for TK) for you to use and I hope it is equally as helpful in your classroom! There may be pages that you don't want to use, and you can just delete those out of the PowerPoint. If there is something you would like to see added, I will gladly do so - just shoot me an email! 

What kinds of parent information sheets do you give out? What has been the most successful for you?